Brown Butter Spaghetti with Roasted Strawberries and Burrata
Nutty brown butter spaghetti topped with sweet roasted strawberries, torn burrata, and a balsamic drizzle — an unexpected pasta that works beautifully.
Brown butter spaghetti with roasted strawberries and burrata sounds like it shouldn’t work. It works beautifully. The strawberries roasted at high heat concentrate their sweetness and develop jammy, almost-caramelly edges. The brown butter adds nuttiness and warmth. Torn burrata brings cool creaminess. Toss it all with al dente spaghetti and a generous crack of black pepper, and you have a pasta dish that’s sweet, savory, rich, and bright all at once.
Why You’ll Love This Brown Butter Spaghetti
- Sweet and savory in the same bite — unexpectedly addictive.
- Roasted strawberries are a revelation — intensely sweet, slightly tangy.
- Burrata makes everything better — cool, creamy, luxurious.
- Ready in 30 minutes with pantry staples.
- Great for early summer when strawberries are at their peak.
Ingredients
- 1 lb 1 lb spaghetti or linguine (Spaghetti is traditional; linguine gives you slightly more surface area for the sauce.)
- 1 lb 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and halved (quartered if large) (Use ripe but firm strawberries — overly soft ones will collapse in the oven.)
- 2 tbsp 2 tbsp olive oil (For the strawberries.)
- 2 tbsp 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (Aged balsamic if you have it — the syrupy kind, not the thin inexpensive kind.)
- 4 tbsp 4 tbsp unsalted butter (Half for browning, half for finishing if you prefer extra richness.)
- 4 oz 4 oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated (Plus more for serving.)
- 8 oz 8 oz burrata cheese (2 balls) (Bring to room temperature before serving for the creamiest, most molten center.)
- to taste Freshly ground black pepper — be generous
- to taste Flaky sea salt
- a handful Fresh basil or mint for garnish
Equipment
- Large pot for pasta
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Small saucepan (for browning butter)
- Large serving bowl
- Tongs for tossing pasta
How to Make Brown Butter Spaghetti
Step 1 — Roast the strawberries (20 minutes)
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Toss the strawberry halves with olive oil and the balsamic vinegar on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread them in a single layer cut-side up — don’t pile them. Roast for 18–22 minutes until they’re soft, slightly shriveled at the edges, and have released syrupy juices that are starting to caramelize on the pan. They’ll look wrinkly. That’s good. Scrape everything — strawberries, juices, all of it — into a bowl and set aside.
Step 2 — Brown the butter (5 minutes)
Melt the butter in a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat. It will foam, then the foam will subside, and the milk solids at the bottom will turn from pale gold to deep amber. This takes 4–6 minutes total. The moment it smells nutty and looks the color of a hazelnut shell, take it off the heat. It goes from brown to burnt fast — if the solids turn black, start over. Pour into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking, scraping in all the dark brown bits — that’s where the flavor is.
Step 3 — Cook the pasta (10 minutes)
Boil the spaghetti in well-salted water (it should taste like the sea) until 1 minute short of the package directions — you’ll finish cooking it in the pan. Before draining, reserve 1½ cups of the starchy pasta water.
Step 4 — Assemble and serve (3 minutes)
Return the empty pasta pot to low heat. Add the brown butter and about ½ cup of pasta water. Add the drained spaghetti and toss continuously over medium-low heat for 1–2 minutes until the sauce emulsifies and coats each strand — the starchy water is what turns the butter from a slick into a creamy sauce. Add the grated Parmesan and toss until melted. Taste the sauce: if it’s too thick, add more pasta water. If it’s too thin, let it reduce for 30 seconds. Gently fold in about two-thirds of the roasted strawberries (breaking them up slightly with the spoon — leave some chunky). Transfer to a platter, tear the burrata into pieces and arrange on top, scatter the remaining strawberries around, grind black pepper generously over everything, and finish with flaky sea salt and torn basil or mint. Serve with extra Parmesan on the side.
Pro Tips
Brown butter needs your full attention. Don’t walk away from the pan. It goes from perfectly nutty to burnt and bitter in under a minute. The color change happens fast at the end.
Save pasta water. The starchy pasta water is what emulsifies the brown butter into a sauce. Without it, you’ll have oily, separated pasta. Always reserve at least a cup before draining.
Room temperature burrata is a must. Cold burrata stays firm and doesn’t spread when you tear it. Let it sit out for 20–30 minutes before serving. The center should be almost liquid when you cut in.
Don’t over-roast the strawberries. They should be soft and collapsed but still hold their shape. If they turn to complete mush, they’ll disappear into the pasta. You want recognizable pieces that burst when you bite them.
Variations & Substitutions
Add prosciutto
Cherry tomato version
Goat cheese instead of burrata
Storage & Reheating
**Refrigerator:** Up to 2 days, but this is best eaten fresh. The burrata doesn’t hold well — serve it immediately after assembly. **Reheating:** Not ideal. The pasta absorbs the sauce and the strawberries break down further. If you must, reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water. **Make-ahead component:** Roast the strawberries and brown the butter up to 3 days ahead. Store separately in the fridge. Reheat the butter gently and proceed with the recipe.
What to Serve With Brown Butter Spaghetti
This pasta pairs beautifully with a warm slab of focaccia for soaking up any remaining brown butter.
Serve alongside a broccoli burrata pasta salad for a full Italian spread.
Start with a simple Caesar salad to balance the richness of the pasta.
Nutrition Information
Per serving (¼ of recipe): approximately 520 calories, 22 g protein, 62 g carbohydrates, 22 g fat, 4 g fiber. Values are estimates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Not for roasting — they release too much water and turn to mush. If frozen is all you have, thaw them completely, pat dry, and fold them into the finished pasta raw. Different flavor but still pleasant.
What if my brown butter burned?
Unfortunately, you can’t un-burn butter. Pour it out, wash the pan, and start over. Next time, use medium (not medium-high) heat and pull the pan off the moment it reaches deep amber.
Is there a substitute for burrata?
Fresh mozzarella sliced thick works, though it won’t have the creamy center. Ricotta salata (the firm, salted kind) is another option — crumble it on top. Or use fresh chèvre for a tangy contrast.
Can I make this ahead for a dinner party?
Roast the strawberries and brown the butter in advance. Cook the pasta about 30 minutes before serving and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Assemble everything right before serving — the warm pasta melts the burrata perfectly at the table.
This is the pasta dish that makes people pause mid-bite and ask what’s in it. Brown butter and roasted strawberries shouldn’t work together, and then they do, and you wonder why every pasta doesn’t taste like this. If you try it in peak strawberry season — June, early July — let us know how it goes. Save this one for your next dinner party.